On the Ride Collection
by thai.MI.Pride
Summary: A collection of oneshots and short stories throughout the lives of Troy, Gabriella, and their friends. Mainly TxG, Troyella, with some CxT SxZ RxK or JxK
1. Word Game

**Title- **Word Game

**Author- **a2.MI.Pride

**Fandom/Pairing- **High School Musical/Troyella

**Rating-** K

**Summary- **One-shot. He watches the boy with the shaggy hair and piercing blue eyes and the girl with the long, dark hair and glowing smile as they take a walk in the park during the autumn. First Kiss scenario.

**Disclaimer- **I (sadly) don't own Disney's brilliant HSM or any of the characters in it.

**Notes-** First one-shot in a planned collection.

They walked along the brick path, completely oblivious of everything but the crisp fall air, the sound of falling leaves, the smell of apples and cinnamon, and each other. He watched them and noticed how the boy kept sneaking glances at the girl and how careful she was to always be touching him. She walked slightly in front of him, his shoulder behind hers in a subtly protective position.

The elderly man watched as the young couple drew closer to his bench, laughing and smiling. Now he could here what they were saying.

"I'm tired of this game. Think of another one," the girl with the thick, dark curls and angelic smile ordered the boy. He paused, stuffing his hands into his jean pockets.

"How about the word game? Think of a word and I have to say another word that begins with the letter it ends with."

The girl laughed. "Alright, then." Her expression turned thoughtful. "Hmm…. 'Musical'."

The boy grinned at her and casually slung his arm around her small shoulders. "'Lyrical'."

"Oooh, Bolton. Are you trying to outsmart me?" she teased him, pulling her coat more tightly around her. "Not gonna happen, boy! 'Logical'."

"Luhh… 'Lost'?"

The boy smiled sheepishly as his companion giggled. They were now only yards away from the elderly man, standing beneath an old oak tree. The girl turned her body so she was facing him. "'Troy'." She smiled affectionately up into his blue eyes.

"Hmm… 'Yellow'."

"'Wildcats'."

The boy drew closer to her slightly, his eyes caught in hers. "'Song'."

The man noticed that neither seemed to be able to tear their eyes away. The girl whispered, "'Gabriella'."

"'Angel'."

"'Longing'." The boy tentatively reached out and put a hand on her waist as she said this.

"'Gorgeous'." He pulled him towards her.

"'Stuck'."

"'Kiss'." He bent his head over her.

"'Stars'."

"'Soul'."

The girl's eyelids started to flutter and drop, but the elderly man heard her murmur, "'Love'."

And underneath that old oak tree in the middle of a park during autumn, that shaggy-haired, blue-eyed boy gave the shy, beautiful, dark-haired girl her first kiss.

The elderly man watched them with a smile. They would last their whole lives, he knew. They were too much in love not to.


	2. Haidee's Essay

**Title- **Haidee's Essay

**Author- **a2.MI.Pride

**Fandom/Pairing-** High School Musical/Troyella

**Rating- **K

**Summary- **One-shot. Troy and Gabriella's 5-year-old daughter writes an essay about her favorite bedtime story. Written in 5-year-old format. :D Future fic.

**Disclaimer- **I don't own HSM or characters… blah, blah, blah. :D Enjoy!

My Favorit Story

My favorit story is the won that my mommy tells me evry nite. It is abowt how she and daddy met eech other. My mommy told me that she and daddy met eech other wen they were on a vacashun at a skee lodj. On new yeers eev, mommy and daddy went to a party and got chosen to sing a song called start of sumthing new. At furst, mommy and daddy were shy and didn't want to sing but after daddy started singing mommy herd his voyce and desided she wuld sing too. Daddy tells me that wen he heard mommy singing, he thawt that she was an angel. Mommy says that wen daddy smiled at her the furst time, she fell in luv rite away. Mommy says she still rememburs how amasing it was to be up there singing with daddy and how evry won cheered for them wen they were don. Evry time she finishes telling me the story, daddy comes and kisses us both on the cheek and tells me how beeyutiful mommy was that nite. He says she looked like a prinsess. Mommy always laffs at him and tells me that daddy was her nite in shyning armer. Then she laffs again and then says, no, wait, he is my nite in a ridikulus basketball jerzee. So that is my favorit story. The one abowt the angelik prinsess and her nite in a jerzee and how they furst fell in luv with eech other.

Haidee Rosalea Bolton

Mrs. Tracy's 1st Grad class


	3. Angel's Lullaby, Pt 1

**Title-** Angel's Lullaby, Part 1

**Author-** a2.MI.Pride

**Fandom/Pairing-** High School Musical/Troyella (Yet again!)

**Rating-** K+

**Summary-** Songfic to Richard Marx's "Angel's Lullaby". Since the moment she had met him, she believed that he would protect her, care for her, and love her for the rest of their lives. He was the angel in her nightmare, but when a tragedy occurs, she has to believe that they can both get through. Tragedy and MAJOR Troyella fluff. :D

**Disclaimer-** As much as I wish I did, I don't own HSM or the characters in it. Peace, chickas and dudes.

**Notes-** This one was going to be a one-shot, but it works better in parts. This is the first. Thanks also to carito06, Amalta, Dracoisalooker76, and jtaveras for their reviews! I'm so glad you guys enjoyed it!

_Senior Year_

17-year-old Gabriella Montez paused as she strode past an open classroom door. From inside, she heard the familiar crooning tones of her boyfriend's voice. She smiled, hitched up the messenger bag slung around her shoulders, and entered the room.

Troy was sitting in front of one of the computers in the classroom, notebooks and sheaves of paper scattered around him, singing what sounded like a lullaby. Gabriella grinned mischievously and snuck up behind him, then flung her arms around Troy's shoulders and kissed him on the cheek. Her boyfriend jumped and looked around, startled. When he saw Gabriella, he gave her a boyish grin and gave her a kiss back.

"Hey, I thought you went home already," Troy told her.

"No, I had to do something with my calculus teacher. I didn't think you'd still be here working on your essay, though."

He laughed sheepishly. "Nah, couldn't concentrate."

"Hmm…" Gabriella pulled up a chair and sat behind him, resting her chin on his shoulder and reading through the essay that Troy had been typing. "What were you singing just before I came in?" she asked suddenly. "I liked it."

Troy blushed a little and started to close the windows on his computer screen. "It was this song by Richard Marx, 'Angel's Lullaby'. It's an old one I used to listen to when I was a lot younger."

She smiled at the idea that her boyfriend would sing such a song, even when he was on his own. "It's nice," she told him as they got up, Troy stuffing the papers into his backpack. When he was done, he slung his backpack onto his shoulders and wrapped an arm around her waist, guiding her out the door. As they walked down the halls, she abruptly turned to him. "Can you sing some of it for me?"

Troy looked at her. "'Angel's Lullaby'? Sure, I guess." As they reached the front doors, he started humming then added the words.

"_Know I'm forever near_

_The one you can always call._

_Right now all you know to fear_

_Are the shadows on your wall._

_I'm here close enough_

_To kiss the tears you cry,_

_And I will sing my Angel's Lullaby._"

Gabriella looked at Troy, feeling a sudden rush of love and affection for him. Even though he had not said so, she could tell by the way he was looking at her with all the love in the world in his eyes that he was singing those words to her. By now, they had reached the sidewalk and were standing underneath an old oak tree. The sky was turning a bright, pinkish orange, signaling dusk.

She stopped walking. Troy turned to her and met her eyes. They gazed at each other for a moment, then Gabriella wrapped her arms around his neck and he pulled her closer by the waist. The two teenagers kissed, softly and sweetly. When they pulled away, she rested her forehead against his shoulder.

"I love you, Troy Bolton."

His arms tightened around her. "I love you too."


	4. Angel's Lullaby, Pt 2

**Title-** Angel's Lullaby, Part 2

**Author-** a2.MI.Pride

**Fandom/Pairing-** High School Musical/Troyella

**Rating-** K+

**Notes-** Part 2 of "Angel's Lullaby". Still more to come!

**And thanks to purplebutterflies, The Wizard of Kazath, Brishty, Oliverwoodschic, katiedabest, Riddle-Me-That, LuvHighSchoolMusical, and especially jtaveras and carito06 for their awesome reviews!**

_Six years later_

With a tired and frustrated sigh, Gabriella flung aside her heavy textbook and notepad. It was past six by now. Taylor would be coming back soon and Troy would be calling her at any minute.

She got up and made her way through the small apartment she shared with her girl friend to the mini-kitchen, as she liked to call it. Gabriella wearily dug out some instant macaroni from the cupboard and reached for the pot hanging above the microwave. She faltered for a moment, catching her reflection in the microwave window. College life was definitely taking a toll on her. Although her features were as pretty as they were in high school, maybe even more so, her face was pale and drawn and she could just see the bags under her dulled, brown eyes. Her hair was unkempt and her usually immaculate clothes hung, wrinkled slightly, around her thin form.

The phone on the kitchen counter rang, jolting Gabriella from her reverie. She reached across and grabbed it.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Gabriella. It's me." Gabriella smiled as Troy's voice reached her ears.

"I thought so. So how are you?" She cradled the phone between her ear and shoulder as she filled the pot with water.

Troy sounded cheerful and happy as he replied. "I'm good. Basketball season's going well and my grades are still borderline acceptable."

She laughed a little, but then noticed the underlying exhaustion in his tone. "No. You're not good, are you?"

Gabriella heard his breath catch a little. "Okay, yeah," he admitted. "The coach is working us a bit harder than usual, but it's nothing I can't deal with. But who cares about me? What about you? I can tell that you're even more tired than me."

"I'm fine, Troy." She knew it was useless to lie though.

"No. Is Taylor there? Shouldn't she be helping you? You need to get some rest, Gabby." He had used her special nickname, sounding so concerned and caring that she almost cried. Instead, she gave a little laugh.

"Taylor's still at her evening class. She'll be home soon, though. Don't worry about me. I'm okay. I can deal."

"Get some sleep anyway. Stop studying for once in your life." Gabriella could tell he was smiling a bit as he said that. "No need to save the world with your brilliant skill just yet." As he talked to her, Gabriella heard the lock click at the door and knew that Taylor had come at last. Over the phone, she distantly heard someone telling Troy they had to go. "Alright, I'm coming!" Troy sighed. "I'm sorry, Gabriella, but I gotta go."

"That's okay. Just take care of yourself, alright?" As she said this, Gabriella caught a glimpse of Taylor grinning at her. She shook her head, smiling a little.

"I will if you do." He sounded concerned again.

Laughing, she replied, "I will. Bye, Troy."

"Bye. I love you, Gabby."

"I love you too." Gabriella heard the phone click then hung up. She turned to Taylor. "So the evil professor finally let you out?"

Taylor chuckled, taking the box of macaroni from her friend's hand and stirring the contents into the pot of boiling water. "Yeah, finally. I thought I was going to die if I heard another word about nitrogen oxides and their affect on the environment." She studied Gabriella carefully. "Why don't you go take a nap? I'll wake you up when I've finished dinner."

"But you just came home," Gabriella protested. "You should be taking a nap."

"No. Go right now," the pretty African-American ordered her. "Troy will never forgive me if I let you work yourself to the point of collapsing in exhaustion."

"Chad would kill me if I let you do the same!"

Taylor grinned. "Look at me, girl. Do I _look_ like I need rest to you? I'm not the one who's been working all day. Stop griping and go to sleep." She paused then stuck a hand into her purse, which was resting on the counter. "I nearly forgot this. I picked it up on my way back; it's for you."

Taking the slim, white envelope Taylor handed her, Gabriella gave her friend a big hug and headed into the bedroom she shared with her. Sitting down on the turquoise and white sheets folded neatly on her bed, Gabriella carefully opened the envelope. Inside was a short note, written in Troy's messy handwriting.

_Gabby,_

_For what you would tell me is the tenth time I've said this, I'm sorry I can't be there for you. I wish that I could be right there beside you, taking care of you and making sure you don't work yourself to death, like I know you would. I wish so badly that we could've gone to the same university, but since that didn't work out, there's really nothing we can do about it, huh?_

_But the least I can do is check up on you every day, even if it's just by phone. I promise I'll come visit as soon as I can. And thank Taylor taking care of you for me, okay? Promise me that you'll pay attention to her and do what she tells you to. Don't work too hard; don't forget to have fun once in a while. I love you, Gabs. So much…_

_Troy_

Also inside the envelope was a CD. In permanent marker, Troy had scrawled: _Our Songs_.

Gabriella inserted the disk into the CD player between the two beds and listened. The first chords on the CD were so familiar and so dear to her. It was "Start of Something New", the song they had first sang together. This song was followed by "What I've Been Looking For", "Breaking Free", James Blunt's "You're Beautiful", Blink 182's "I Miss You", and Maroon 5's "She Will Be Loved". The last song was one she thought she had never heard before, but as the man's voice started to sing, she realized which song it was. It was the one Troy had sung to her so many times before: "Angel's Lullaby".

Gabriella sat and listened as Richard Marx's voice, so unlike Troy's, but soothing all the same, filled the small bedroom. It was at times like these that she missed Troy the most. _Even when he's not here he can manage to do the sweetest things for me_, Gabriella mused, tears gathering in her eyes.

The music had started to fade away, but even when the CD had stopped playing, those words still echoed in her head. The ones Troy had sung to her so long ago.

_I'm here close enough_

_To kiss the tears you cry,_

_And I will sing my Angel's Lullaby…_


	5. Angel's Lullaby, Pt 3

**Title-** Angel's Lullaby, Part 3

**Author-** a2.MI.Pride

**Fandom/Pairing-** High School Musical/Troyella

**Rating-** K

**Notes-** Part 3 of "Angel's Lullaby". In the first part of this chapter, Gabriella is a journalist, partnered with Taylor, and Troy is about to join the San Antonio Spurs. In the second part, Gabriella works only part-time at her old job and Troy is playing for the Spurs. There should be one more part, then it's the end of the story!

**Thanks so much to Riddle-Me-That, xox junior xox, Dracoisalooker76, theyoundandthehopeless, oceangal92, jtaveras, Megan is the shiz (I'm still freakin' out!), The Wizard of Kazath, xbracefacex, peachie1st, hsmrocks, and LuvHighSchoolMusical for their amazing reviews!**

_Two years later_

It was a little past midnight and 25-year-old Gabriella perched on the rail of the baby's cradle next to one of the many large windows in the nursery. She smiled softly as she watched her baby daughter sleep, cradled in her arms. Haidee Bolton, everyone had said, was the sweetest baby they had ever seen. Gabriella's mother had delightedly pointed out that she had her mother's dark curls and shy smile while Troy's father had proudly declared that the baby had Troy's bright blue eyes and "The Bolton Hands". Gabriella's smile grew as she remembered how Sharpay had teasingly told their friends that with a mother like Gabby and a father like Troy, Haidee was bound to have the vocabulary of a grown person by the age of six and Chad, Zeke, and Ryan had said that she would be East High's first Lady Wildcat MVP by the end of her freshman year. Kelsi and Taylor had agreed and added that Haidee was also destined to become a famous Broadway singer to top it all off.

"There's a whole lot of expectations to live up to, isn't there, baby?" Gabriella whispered to her sleeping daughter. "And you're only 3 months old! Ridiculous, all of them."

"I hope you're not talking about me." Gabriella looked up and giggled as her husband entered the room.

He sat down next to her and put his arm around her shoulders as she snuggled into his chest. "Your hair is incredibly messy, your shirt is wrinkled and you still manage to look hotter than ever." She told him softly. Troy laughed.

"I could say the same about you," he said. "But your hair is never messy."

She hushed him as Haidee stirred a little in her slumber. She put her little hands up to her face and made baby noises then opened her sleepy eyes. She gazed up at her parents with bright eyes that were slightly crossed. Her chin trembled a little as her eyes welled up.

"Ohh, did we wake you up, _mi cariña_?" Gabriella shifted so Haidee was now resting against her shoulder. She stood up and walked around the room, murmuring to her daughter and rubbing her back. Haidee quieted down a little, but didn't stop crying. Troy watched his wife and baby, and then held out his arms to her.

"Here, Gabby." She turned, then gently passed Haidee to her father. Troy took her with as much care and cradled the baby in his strong arms. Gabriella sat down next to him again and wrapped her arm around his waist, leaning against him. Softly, she hummed a little melody, prompting her husband. He smiled at her and then at Haidee who peered back up at him.

Quietly, soothingly, he began to croon to his daughter what he had sung to Gabriella so many times before, but starting at what he called "Baby's verse".

"_I was never alive_

_Till the day I was blessed with you._

_When I hold you late at night_

_I know what I was put here to do._

_I turn off the world_

_And listen to you sigh_

_And I will sing my Angel's Lullaby._"

As he sang, her hiccupping sobs quieted and her eyelids began to droop, then close. After she had dropped soundly off to sleep, Troy turned and gently laid her down amidst the many soft blankets and pillows in her cradle. Tenderly, Gabriella reached down and pulled the blankets up to her chin, making sure that her daughter was as comfortable as she could be. The two of them stood for a moment, Gabriella encased in Troy's arms, watching Haidee sleep peacefully. _This_, the young mother thought happily,_ is as good a life as you can get. Count your blessings, girl. You've got the perfect family, a job you love, and a wonderful home._ She smiled as Troy slouched a little to rest his chin on her shoulder.

"I'll have to get up early tomorrow," he whispered, his breath tickling her ear. "The try-outs start at 10."

"I know."

"Do you think you could get the morning off and come watch?"

Gabriella turned around in his arms to face him, her expression thoughtful. "I'll try, but you know Taylor. She hates it when I leave her with the new assistant manager. Maybe if I ask nicely, though."

"Alright, you do that," Troy grinned at her. "But you know I'll play twice as well if I know you and Haidee are watching me."

She laughed. "I'll keep that in mind when I confront Taylor." She gave him a hug, and then untangled herself from his arms. "Alright, hot-shot. We better go to bed if you're going to be knocking them dead tomorrow."

Troy smiled and led her out of the room. "Sure thing, Mrs. Bolton."

Amusedly, Gabriella wondered if she would ever _not_ get a thrill of happiness whenever someone called her that. She glanced at Troy and saw him staring at her with an adoring look on his face. Smiling, she thought to herself, _No. Not while he still acts like my lovable guardian angel._

_Four years later_

From the very front row of the stands, one pair of loving chocolate eyes and one pair of lively blue eyes followed Troy's fast-moving figure as he drove down the offensive side of the court, dribbling easily as he pushed past several opponents. He faked a pass, misleading the guy who had been closely guarding him, then quickly passed to one of his teammates who had been standing wide open. As he saw his teammate catch the ball and dribble easily down the court, Troy heard a distinct voice calling him.

"Yay! Go, Daddy! Beat them, beat them!" He grinned widely as he risked a glance at the stands where Haidee had been cheering wildly, standing on the seat next to Gabriella who smiled widely at him when he caught her eye. _All right, Bolton. Don't disappoint them now. Getcha' head in the game._ With his old team's mantra ringing in his ears, Troy ducked around the opponent who was marking him and swiftly caught the ball thrown his way. _Drive past, fake a right, break a left. Simple lay-up and…_ The net made a satisfactory swishing sound as the ball fell smoothly through. _Thatta boy._ It was funny how similar that voice in his head was to his dad's. A grin stretched across his face as his teammates swarmed around him to thump him on the back and praise him, but they quickly scattered to their positions around the key on their defensive side.

Thirteen fast-moving minutes later, the buzzer rang, signaling the end of the game. It had been a good game, Troy thought happily. His team had played brilliantly; proof being the glaring red 63-48 on the scoreboard. After a flurry of man-hugs, congratulations, and praise, Troy fought his way over to the locker rooms and changed as quickly as he could. When he finished, he pushed through the doors and immediately heard:

"DADDY!!" Haidee leapt into his open arms and was lifted up into the air. Gabriella came to stand next to him and he gave her a kiss.

"Here's my Haidee-bug." Troy told his daughter, using the nickname he had made up.

"You did so good, Daddy! You were going so fast and you were the best player on the court! I bet the other team isn't very happy about you though. They looked pretty mad." Haidee gushed. Gabriella laughed.

"It's not like you doubted Daddy would win for one moment, did you, Haidee?" she teased her daughter affectionately. She giggled. "You were great, Troy," Gabriella praised her husband now. "All the Wildcats are really proud tonight!" She turned around and spotted Chad heading their way with Taylor on his arm and laughed. "Well, the ones that didn't just lose to your team, anyway."

Troy grinned at his best friend who had walked up to them. "Hey, man. Good game."

Chad grinned back and shook the hand that wasn't holding Haidee up. "Yeah, thanks. You too. Man, I knew we were doomed when they told us we had to play the infamous Spurs."

"You were really good, too, Uncle Foo-foo!" Haidee told him. The four adults all laughed at the name that she had given Chad since she was still a toddler.

"Thanks, Haids." Chad told her, ruffling her curly, dark hair.

"So are we going out to dinner?" Taylor asked. "The reservations are for seven and I told Sharpay and the rest to meet us before that."

"Sure, let's get going." Gabriella pulled them all down the hall.

It was past nine by the time Troy and Gabriella got home. Haidee had already fallen fast asleep on the ride back. Tiredly, Gabriella went to get ready for bed. After she had taken a shower and changed, she went to check on Haidee. Her father carried her all the way up into her bedroom and laid her down gently on her bed, and then tucked her snuggly in. He was sitting next to her bed, watching her sleep and singing softly. Gabriella paused and leaned against the doorframe, watching them both. Troy looked up and saw her. She smiled at him and went to sit next to him.

They sat in silence for a while, and then Gabriella spoke up. "It's hard to believe that she'll be starting first grade soon, isn't it?"

"It is," Troy smiled, a little sadly. "She's growing up so fast."

She laughed at him. "She's daddy's little girl to you."

"Hey," Troy defended himself. "It's a dad thing. Our baby girls will always be our baby girls, no matter how old."

They sat in silence for another minute, watching their daughter sleep. Then Gabriella pressed her cheek against the hollow of his neck.

"You must be exhausted. Why don't you go take a shower now?" she kept her voice down as she asked him. Troy gently wrapped his fingers in her hair and kissed her.

"I'm okay. I'll go after I'm finished here."

Every night, since Haidee had been born, Troy would sit next to her and sing her the verse from "Angel's Lullaby". Without failure, Haidee, who had to be the most excitable child her parents had ever seen, would always calm down and drift peacefully off to sleep. While Gabriella would sing to her as often as she demanded it, Haidee's father would only sing for her at night, just as she was going to sleep.

Gabriella wrapped her arms around him and put her lips next to his ear and whispered softly, "You're a good Daddy." She felt him smile against her hair and put a hand on her back. She rested her head against his shoulder for a while. _I should tell him right now_, she thought. Her heart rate going up wildly, she drew back a little and met Troy's eyes.

"What's wrong?" he sounded concerned. _Do I really look that nervous?_ Gabriella gave him a trembling smile and looked down.

"Nothing. Nothing's wrong." She laughed a little. Gabriella paused then squeezed his hand and looked straight into his eyes again. "Troy," Her voice wavered. "I'm pregnant again."

For a full half-minute, it seemed like Troy couldn't speak. Then, a huge smile spread across his face and his blue eyes glowed. "That's…" he struggled to find words, and then let out a relieved laugh. "That is the best thing I've heard for the longest time."

"Troy— Oh!" Gabriella giggled as she was crushed in his strong, warm hug. She hugged him back just as hard. "I'm so happy, Troy." She whispered joyously. He laughed again.

"Me too," The two stayed in their embrace for another minute, then he drew away. "What are we doing? If you've got another baby coming, you should be in bed now! Ow!"

She had slapped his arm. "Don't get all motherly over me. I'm fine, and this baby won't be coming along any time soon." She paused then stifled a big yawn. Troy looked at her amusedly. Gabriella giggled. "But, whatever. I'll go to bed now anyway."

She reached over and tenderly brushed the hair off of Haidee's face and kissed her daughter's forehead.

Troy bent his head over her and gave her a kiss and another tight hug. "'Night, Gabby. I love you."

"I love you, too." She got up and headed towards the door. Smiling, she looked over her shoulder. "And don't you stay up too late either. You need some rest as well."

He smiled at her and waved her off. After a few minutes singing softly to Haidee, he told her, "You're going to be a big sister soon, Haidee-bug. Won't that be fun?" He watched his daughter as she stirred in her sleep. Then he smoothed down her comforter and kissed her on the cheek. "Sleep tight, Haidee." Troy got up and left the room, loving every single thing in the world for being exactly the way they were and feeling like the happiest man on earth.

_I was never alive_

_Till the day I was blessed with you._

_When I hold you late at night_

_I know what I was put here to do._

_I turn off the world_

_And listen to you sigh_

_And I will sing my Angel's Lullaby._

_So tell me how to stop the years from racing_

_Is there a secret someone knows_

_I'll never catch all the memories I'm chasing_

_I'll never be ready to let go_


	6. Masked

**Title-** Masked

**Author-** A2.MI.Pride

**Fandom/Pairing-** High School Musical/Zarpay (Zeke/Sharpay)

**Rating-** K+

**Summary-** One-shot. When the Evans twins hold their annual Halloween bash, Zeke notices that there's something not right with Sharpay. Kind of on the angsty side.

**Disclaimer-** I don't own the fabulous High School Musical characters… Just the plot.

**Notes-** I know this is going out of order, but I decided that all of you guys might get bored of waiting for the last part of "Angel's Lullaby". It's taking a really long time to get it the way I want it to be, so here's a little filler. This is the third story in my collection, and it's not based around Troy and Gabriella for once, LOL. I hope you guys like it! And don't worry, 'cause Troy and Gabriella will be back very soon! (Oh, and, yes, Kelsi's costume _is_ a tribute to Halloweentown.) **A/N: Aahh! LOL, those spelling mistakes were seriously bad! Thanks to everyone who caught them!**

Once again, Zeke thought, looking around, Sharpay and Ryan's Halloween party was nothing short of mind-blowing. Sharpay had ordered every inch of the first floor of her family's mansion to be decorated and spooked-up. Now, the place looked spectacular. This year's theme was "Masquerade Ball" and all the twins' friends were wandering around, or dancing wildly, in various masks. "Welcome to the Black Parade" was now blasting from huge surround-sound speakers, and in the living room, a crowd of teens were watching "The Phantom of the Opera" on the huge, plasma screen TV.

"Zeke!" He turned. Smiling widely, Sharpay was wading through the crowd towards him, followed closely by all of their closest friends.

As soon as she was free of the crowd, Sharpay flung herself into her boyfriend's arms and hugged him tightly. Zeke hugged her close and then pushed her away and looked her up and down. She was decked out as a sparkly, hot-pink Catwoman: a classic _femme fatale_ with Sharpay's own personal touch. Even the pipe cleaners she had used for whiskers were sparkly, and screaming out "Sharpay!"

He gave a wolf-whistle of approval. "Wow, Sharpay. You look awesome."

She laughed. "So do you, Chef Emeril!"

"Hey, man. Glad you made it," Troy had come as Zorro, complete with a black mask and feathered cap. At his side was Gabriella as a stunning _señorita _in a gorgeous scarlet, layered dress.

"Whoa, you two look great together!" he complimented them.

"I know, right? It's so _cute_!" Sharpay piped up. He laughed at her and saw Ryan as Batman… with silver-sequined wings and mask. "Oh, man, Ryan. Great costume, dude."

Ryan laughed, looking a bit embarrassed. No doubt Sharpay had talked him into wearing it. "Thanks."

"Hey, Zeke!" Kelsi greeted him. The petite composer was dressed as a troll. Her curly brown hair was now frizzy and standing up on end and her baggy coat and trousers were bright blue.

He nodded at her as Jason thumped him hard on the back. "Ow!"

"Man, we thought you wouldn't make it. Haha! Good costume though, dude. Suits you." His teammate was an iPod, the screen being his face. He was, apparently, playing the song "I Want Candy".

Zeke grinned weakly, rubbing his shoulder where he sure Jason had bruised it. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Taylor dressed as Marie Curie, the famous scientist.

"Hey, Tay— WHOA! Chad??"

Standing next to his girlfriend was Chad, looking as if he had been dunked into a pool of black grease paint. The only parts of him that weren't painted black were his teeth flashing in a wide grin, the whites of his eyes, his fluffy _lime-green_ hair, and an iPod hanging from a cord around his neck. Not only was his appearance bizarre, but he was also dancing wildly, throwing his arms everywhere and bouncing around while shaking his head.

His friends all laughed.

"Yeah, that's what we were all like at first," Troy told him. Zeke's jaw was still hanging.

"Wha?"

Chad's grin grew wider. "I had a fight with grease paint and the grease paint won."

Their friends laughed again while Zeke stood, still in shock. "What _are_ you?" he asked his big-haired teammate.

Chad rolled his eyes. "Can't you tell? I'm one of those cool iPod commercials," he told Zeke, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Gabriella snorted and took pity on Zeke. "All right, stop scaring the poor guy." She turned to Sharpay. "Why don't we all go find something to eat?" She tugged Troy's arm and battled her way through the crowd as they all followed her.

Sharpay clutched her boyfriend's arm as they followed their friends. Zeke looked down at her then realized something seemed wrong. "Hey, are you okay?" he asked concernedly.

She looked startled then gave him a big smile. "What? Oh no. I'm fine."

He stopped walking and turned to face her completely. "No, you aren't." Zeke put his hand on her shoulder, then yanked his hand back and stared at her. "Sharpay, you're shaking." She was, and now that he looked her carefully, he noticed that her face was paler than usual, and not due to make-up.

Sharpay shook her head and frowned. "I swear, I'm fine. I had a small cold this morning, that's all. I'm fine."

He hesitated, then shrugged, knowing that Sharpay wouldn't let him argue with her. But despite this, he put his arm around her shoulders and kept her close as they stepped into the Evans' kitchen.

Zeke took one look inside and stopped dead in the doorway, Sharpay still pressed to his side. What they saw was Gabriella, Taylor, Kelsi, and Ryan sitting at the island in the middle of the large kitchen, sipping their punch and nibbling some crackers. The three other boys, however, were piled up against the wall, peering out one of the windows.

"Uhh, guys?"

"Shh!" "Shut up, Zeke!" "Was that her??" all greeted him from the pile of boys.

The three girls at the counter rolled their eyes.

"Jason swears he heard Darbus yelling at someone outside," Ryan told the couple in the doorway, popping another cracker into his mouth.

Sharpay let out a little high-pitched giggle, prompting Zeke to look down at her again. That didn't sound normal.

Gabriella patted the stool next to her. "Come sit down and eat."

Sharpay sat down obediently, but as soon as Zeke took the seat next to her, she jumped up again as though her stool had suddenly burst into flames.

"Um, you know what? I just remembered I have to, uh, get some more punch. I'll be right back." And with that, she strode quickly back out the door and disappeared.

Zeke stared then turned to his friends. "What was that about?"

The girls shrugged.

"She probably realized she need to fix her hair or something," Taylor said off-handedly.

"Or she could be doing what she told us she was going to do," Gabriella and Kelsi spoke at the exact same time, defending their friend.

But Zeke looked Ryan and realized by the look on his face that Sharpay's twin had also sensed that something was wrong. The blond-haired actor caught Zeke's eye and nodded his head towards the door, silently telling him to go after his sister. With that, he stood up and headed out the door again.

"Where're you going?" Gabriella called after him.

"Um… bathroom. I'll be right back," he called over his shoulder. He saw her exchange looks with Taylor as the door swung closed behind him.

The crowd of dancing, chattering teens bumped and jostled Zeke as he waded through them, heading to the living room, then games room and dining room to look for Sharpay. He even tentatively knocked on the door of the bathroom, but the irritated voice that answered him wasn't hers. _Funny_, he thought as he scurried away. _That sounded a lot like Darbus_.

After checking the rest of the rooms on the first floor, he decided to check her room on the third floor and started climbing up the stairs. The second floor was completely empty but for a couple he caught making out. After seeing that, he hurried up the next flight of stairs, rushing to get away from the noises they were making.

He passed quite a few doors before spying on hot-pink door, emblazoned with a star with Sharpay's signature scribbled boldly in the middle of it. Zeke grinned a bit. This was Sharpay's room, all right.

Cautiously, he pushed open the door and peered inside. At first glance, everything seemed normal. The four-poster bed was neatly made and the pink curtains dotted silver and gold stars were tied back. Beanbags and comfy, modern beach chairs were arranged in one corner around a flat-screen TV. Posters of various Broadway stars covered the walls, and floor was covered with a perfectly white plush carpet. The far corners of Sharpay's huge bedroom, however, were shrouded in shadows.

Zeke stepped inside and carefully shut the door behind him. He slowly crept further into the room. He reached a spot on the wall he remembered a light switch was and flicked it on. The whole room was now dimly lit and now he saw a petite figure kneeling on the ground in front of a showcase filled with plaques and other awards, completely still. Sharpay.

Zeke rushed forward. She was hunched forward, eyes fixed on the floor in front of her. When he reached her, he saw her expression was still, completely blank.

"Sharpay…" Zeke knelt next to her and put a hand on her shoulder. He felt her shudder and she shrugged his hand off. He didn't move. He didn't know what to say.

They sat, still and mute, for minutes. Then Sharpay looked up into her boyfriend's face.

"Look at me," she said, her voice firm and strong. "Look at me and tell me who you think I am."

Zeke stared her, a bit confused. "I see you as a star. I see you as someone who'd be in the spotlight at anytime, anywhere. I see you as the one person who can blind me to anyone else, even if we're surrounded by people."

Sharpay stiffened and stood up. She turned to the showcase and opened it. Reaching up, she pulled a glittering tiara from the top shelf. It was tiny and plastic, a little girl's toy. She tuned back to face him.

"See this?" She waved the tiara in front of him. "I got this when I was crowned winner of the Little Miss Princess Pageant. I was five." Sharpay reached into the shelf again and pulled another tiara from it. This one was similar, but was embedded with a huge, fake pink rhinestone. "And this one. I got this in the third grade when my class voted me Queen Bee of the Year." She pulled out another crown: slightly larger and more elaborate. "I was voted Drama Queen in the sixth grade." Another tiara was pulled from the shelf, and another. "In the seventh and eighth grade, it was the same. Drama Queen, three years in a row." She turned from him again. Yet another tiara was pulled from that shelf. "And this. They voted me Snow Queen in the Winter Wonderland Dance in our freshman year." Another. "Spring Fling Queen, same year." She reached up, yet again, her other hand grasping a jumble of glittering plastic tiaras. When she turned back to him, her voice shook as she spoke to him. "And last year, they voted me Ice Princess." Sharpay breathed heavily, her eyes burning as she looked at him. Shakily, she pulled off her mask.

Zeke stood up slowly, feeling alarmed. He stood still before her, staring down at her passionate face.

Sharpay pulled out the first tiara from the mess in her hand. "Little Miss Princess," she whispered and, _snap_, snapped it in two and threw it down in front of her feet. "Queen Bee," _Snap_. The second tiara was broken and its pieces joined those on the ground. "Drama Queen," The next three Sharpay dropped to the ground before stomping on them. "Snow Queen," She shook the tiara in front of her. "Spring Fling Queen," Both were snapped and flung to the ground. Her eyes gleamed and she fingered the last remaining tiara. "Ice Princess."

Her voice was barely audible now. Her fingers shook violently and the tiara slipped from her fingers and shattered into tiny, glittering pieces on the ground, adding to the pile of broken shards. Numbly, Zeke's mind registered that the last tiara had been made of glass.

Sharpay stood before him, shaking.

"Do you see?" she whispered, her voice heated and emotional. "Those crowns were what people saw me as. It was my mask: perfection, a star, a princess." She gestured to the shards at her feet. "This is what I am inside: some broken image of perfection." She smiled weakly at him and his heart shattered painfully for her. "I'm broken, Zeke, and I don't think I can be fixed."

Zeke didn't say anything. He just stepped towards her and crushed her to his chest. He buried his face in the crook of her neck as she sobbed into his shoulder; letting the tears she had been holding back for a lifetime soak his shirt. Zeke held her tightly; as if he thought that he might squeeze out any unhappy feelings in her body; as if, by doing so, he could make anything in the world that made her unhappy go away.

He held her long after her sobs had quieted. Finally, he spoke, voice husky and low.

"I will do whatever it takes to fix you, Sharpay. I will make you see exactly who you are and make you love yourself as much as I love you, no matter what happens or how long it takes."

She smiled into his chest, her romantic personality thoroughly loving it all.

"I know you will, Zeke. I know you will."


	7. Angel's Lullaby, Pt 4

**Title-** Angel's Lullaby, Part 4

**Author-** a2.MI.Pride

**Fandom/Pairing-** High School Musical/Troyella

**Rating-** K+

**Notes-** This is the first, and happier, ending to "Angel's Lullaby". The original ending is taking forever, so I wrote this. Not only was it easier to write for me, but also it's a bit less tragic than the real ending (which I will post soon!). But that doesn't mean it's all rainbows and butterflies! All righty, here's the first ending to "Angel's Lullaby"!

_One year later_

She sat, unmoving and silent, in the cold, bright room. Haidee was curled up beside her on the hard plastic couch and her baby boy was held tightly in her arms. The last few hours had been a fast-moving nightmare; a tangle of memories she dreaded to sort out and relive. Gabriella shuddered suddenly and tried to push away the one memory nudging her conscience, but all of the sudden she was there, at the basketball game they were at, mere hours ago.

Time had been running out and the score was still 94-93 in favor of the opposing team. The atmosphere was unbearably tense and the whole stadium was on the edge of their seats. At the moment, the ball was down on the Spurs' defensive side in the hands of one of the opposing team's best players. Troy had seen him hesitate and dove in between him and another player just as the man passed the ball his way. Troy snatched it from the air and drove furiously down the court. The crowd around Gabriella went wild, and she could barely hear over Haidee's fierce cheering. She watched from her seat in the middle of the stands in agonizing anticipation as her husband stopped just two yards short of the three-point line and glanced at the clock. Two seconds. The members of the other team were rushing towards him. There wasn't any more time. Troy bent his knees and jumped, releasing the ball into the air. The buzzer rang. Total silence, and then the whole arena erupted. The ball had gone straight in and the scoreboard now defiantly flashed 94-96. Gabriella smiled. Another game saved by the legendary Troy Bolton. She stood up and scooped Haidee and baby Zac into her arms and raced down the bleachers. Troy looked up through the tangle of arms around him, grinned widely, and broke free from his teammates to sprint up the steps to meet them. Neither of them saw the furious man in the crowd, or his three-inch long blade until it was too late. One moment, Troy had been jumping over seats to meet her, and the next he had stopped dead, the blood draining from his face.

"Troy!" She had screamed that one word and watched in absolute horror as her husband backwards and tumbled helplessly down nearly ten step, finally stopping as he slammed his head into the back of one seat. Gabriella couldn't even recall running towards him. All she could remember was reaching Troy and feeling her heart tear when she saw the glinting knife protruding from his back, just about a foot under the back of his neck, and the blood flowing from his head. She knew not to move him, but that didn't stop her from kneeling down and kissing his cheek and begging him to wake up. Distantly, she could hear Haidee's heartrending pleas for her Daddy to stop scaring her and to _move_. Gabriella cradled her baby with one arm, and with her free hand, she pushed Troy's hair from his sweaty, terrifyingly white face. The next thing she knew, a gentle, official-sounding voice was asking her to move aside. When she merely shook her head, a firm hand grabbed her arm and pushed her away.

"Please, ma'am. We need to get him away." She clumsily registered that the paramedics must have arrived and they were the people crowding around Troy's body, yelling orders and strapping an oxygen mask onto his face. Gabriella slowly stood up as they lifted Troy's unmoving body onto a stretcher and blindly reached for Haidee's hand. They had ridden on the ambulance and watched as Troy was rushed into the emergency room.

She had been in the same seat for nearly two hours, unable to talk or think. Haidee hadn't cried, but shrieked for the whole first hour before falling silent and burying her small head into her mother's neck. Zac had cried before Gabriella calmed him down and was now fast asleep.

"Mrs. Bolton?" Gabriella turned her head quickly towards the woman who had called to her, feeling her heart break a little more at the sound of her name. The woman was still in her scrubs and was carrying a white clipboard in one of her hands. The nametag on her coat told Gabriella that her name was Dr. Marie Haas. She slowly stood up, feeling Haidee also sit up straighter.

"How— How is he?" her voice cracked as she asked this.

The doctor looked her in the eye for a moment before replying. "He's alive."

Gabriella felt her heart clench and hope filled her thoughts all at once. Troy was still alive. But she controlled herself and thought more reasonably. "He's alive… But…"

The doctor took a deep breath and sighed. "Mr. Bolton suffered extremely dangerous injuries. The blade broke through part of his spinal cord and he lost a lot of blood. When he fell and hit his head that hard, it caused serious brain damage." Gabriella suddenly found it much harder to breathe.

"Oh, dear God." She whispered. "His spinal cord? His head?"

"The bone shattered. It's very likely that he will be paralyzed from the waist down for the rest of his life. At the moment, he can't see or move his left arm." The doctor paused and pulled down her mask. "I'm sorry."

She was sure that her heart had stopped beating. Troy, her playmaker basketball star, paralyzed and could be blind. Then she reached behind her to pull Haidee to her feet and looked back into Dr. Haas' eyes. "Could we see him?"

The other woman hesitated. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Bolton. He's been given a sedative and is still in critical condition. We're still treating him."

"No," Gabriella whispered. "Please."

Dr. Haas shook her head sadly. "I'm so sorry. It's against hospital rules. We will notify you as soon as you are allowed to see him."

Gabriella stood, eyes fixed coldly on the doctor. Then she turned on her heel and walked away. As soon as she saw the nearest payphone, she strode towards it, shakily pushed some coins into the slot, and dialed a number.

"Taylor? Could you come pick me up?"

It was dark by the time Gabriella and her children got home. She bathed them and dressed them in their nightclothes, barely noticing what she did. She put Zac to bed first, singing him part of "Breaking Free". Haidee stood and watched as her mother laid her little brother down in his cradle.

"I'm not sleeping." Gabriella turned to face her and saw that the little girl's face was set, showing her determination.

Gabriella choked back tears and knelt down in front of her daughter. "Sweetie, it's past your bedtime. You have to sleep, whether you want to or not."

But Haidee was shaking her head. "No. I won't. Daddy isn't here to sing me his song."

Gabriella's heart tore. She took a deep, shuddering breath and let it out, and then reached out and pulled Haidee to her. Soothingly, she rubbed her daughter's back and murmured, "It's going to be okay. Daddy's going to be fine, I promise."

Haidee's chin trembled and tears filled her wide, blue eyes, but she wiped them away angrily. "I'm not gonna cry." She told her mother boldly.

"You can cry if you like, Haidee. It's all right."

"No." The little girl whispered. "Daddy doesn't like it when I cry."

Gabriella sniffed and smiled at her. "Daddy would want you to cry if you needed to. He doesn't want you to be unhappy. Your daddy loves you, Haidee. He knows that crying helps sometimes."

"Crying is for babies," Haidee's voice wavered.

"You'll always be my baby, Haidee. Mine and Daddy's." Gabriella pulled her close again. "Cry all you want, Haidee-bug."

Her daughter's blue eyes welled up again, but this time, Haidee let them fall. "I'm crying for you, Daddy," she whispered.

Gabriella brushed the dark curls away from Haidee's forehead. She had cried for nearly half an hour before falling asleep. Gabriella tucked the covers in around her small body then kissed her wet cheek.

She went downstairs into the kitchen. The house seemed to be unnaturally quiet without one of its occupants. Gabriella reached for a glass and filled it up with warm water, hoping that it would make her sleep more easily. She walked over to the dark living room and threw herself into a couch and sat with her knees drawn up to her chest.

Too much had happened today; too much to think over and to worry about. She closed her eyes.

Troy. Ever since that fateful night at the ski lodge, Gabriella had believed that Troy would always be there for her. She had believed that he would always be there, protecting her, caring for her, loving her. But now he lay in an ICU room, paralyzed from the waist down and could be permanently blind. She didn't even know if he could make it out alive.

And how was she going to manage without him? It hit her at that moment how much she had relied on Troy, how much she loved him. Troy had made her break free from her shackles way back in their sophomore year, had made sure she made it through her rough college years, had made her the happiest girl alive that day he proposed to her, and was now the father of her two beautiful children. He did so much for them, missing important matches for their birthdays, spending a fortune on a house to make sure she was happy, did little things for her every day to make her feel special and truly loved. Haidee relied on Troy just as heavily. He taught her how to play basketball and how to ride a bike. He had comforted her when the kids at school gave her a hard time, or told her she was beautiful when she didn't feel like it. Troy was the one person who could make her sleep peacefully, the only person allowed to sing her "Angel's Lullaby".

And Zac. Zachary Troy Bolton, their three-month-old son. Gabriella had marveled and delighted in how similar her baby boy looked like her husband. They had the same sweet smile, bright, blue eyes, and light brown hair. Troy had taken Zac everywhere; to games, to practices, on long walks, even to the grocery store. Zac would smile the quickest for him. Him and Gabriella and big sister Haidee. But Troy could make him laugh the most and smile most frequently. He loved his son so much.

Tears welled up in her eyes. Here she was, sitting and doing nothing to help anyone. Troy could be dying, or wishing he were dead, and they weren't allowing her to do anything. She got up and went to the mantle above the fireplace. There, in the middle, was a picture someone had taken years ago, when Troy and Gabriella were still in their sophomore year. The two of them were standing on stage in front of a starry background and huge cardboard moon. They were both carrying microphones and smiling as they sang. Even then, Gabriella realized suddenly, it was obvious how much they loved each other. Her eyes filled with tears again as she saw the way they looked at each other, loving life and falling in love with each other. She turned suddenly and flung the glass in her hand onto the ground. The glass shattered and lay in glittering, shining pieces. Gabriella sank to the floor on her knees. _Damn them_, she thought bitterly as she sobbed._ Damn them from keeping him away._

It was two agonizing days before Gabriella got the permission to go see Troy. She had dragged the two children out of bed and sped over to the hospital. They all but ran up to the front desk.

"I'm looking for my husband. Troy Bolton?"

One of the women at the desk looked down her list then back up at Gabriella, an understanding look on her face.

"Why don't you follow me?" She led them down several corridors before reaching room IC764. While the woman confidently pushed open the door and smiled at her, welcoming her to go right in, Gabriella hesitated. She didn't know if she could bear to see Troy the way he was now, but then she shook her head. She _had_ to see him, no matter how much it might hurt. Haidee was already tugging at her hand, eager to see her daddy. Gabriella smiled shakily down at her and stepped inside.

Her heart broke all over again. Troy was deadly white and lying completely still. She couldn't see if he was conscious or not. There was an IV connected to one of his wrists and he was hooked to various monitors. The steady _beep_ of the monitors had never sounded so reassuring. There was a bandage wrapped around Troy's head, but she couldn't see any others, even though she knew there must be one around his back. Her eyes drifted towards the bedside table and her heart froze as they landed on a glinting pocketknife secured inside a black plastic case. She remembered that the bastard who had attacked Troy hadn't been caught yet.

While Gabriella stood stock-still, tears welling up in her eyes, Haidee had already rushed up to her father's bedside.

"Daddy! Daddy!" she yelled at him, shaking the rails on either side of the bed.

Troy's mouth opened slightly. As she drew closer, Gabriella could see that his eyes were open as well. "Haidee-bug." His voice was hoarse and so quiet she could barely hear it. Troy's hand inched slowly towards his daughter. Haidee grabbed it and held on as though it were a lifeline and if she let go, she would die.

"You're scaring me, Daddy," Haidee whispered. "Don't scare me."

Troy took a deep, shuddering breath, still staring at the ceiling. "I'm sorry, baby. I'm so sorry." His hand moved again to her cheek and softly caressed it. "Don't cry now, Haidee."

"I'm not. I won't, Daddy." The little girl sniffed, speaking defiantly. "I already did."

He made gentle, hushing noises. Then Troy blinked slowly. "Gabby."

She shuddered at the tone of his voice. It was so raw and painful, and at the same time, filled with longing and love. She was afraid to go to him.

"Gabriella," Troy's voice wavered and cracked. "Please."

Gabriella crossed the room, taking slow, agonizing steps. When she finally reached his side, a nurse stepped in.

"I'll take the baby." Gabriella reluctantly handed her sleeping son over to the woman, knowing that she would just distress him and wake him from his nap if she kept him close in the state she was in. Even when Zac was slumbering safely in the nurse's arms, she didn't look at her husband, but instead, stared at the wall behind the headboard of the bed.

"Gabby," Troy called her. She could hear the tears in his voice. "Look at me. Please."

Obediently, Gabriella lowered her eyes. When she met Troy's foggy blue gaze, she stifled a sob, putting a hand over her mouth. She could barely see him through the tears now flowing freely from her eyes. "Troy." Gabriella whispered.

"Gabby, come here." It was an order she had wanted to obey since she stepped into the room. She reached out her hand and touched his face, running her fingers from his cheek up to brush over his eyelids. Gabriella bent her upper body over him and rested her head in the hollow between his shoulder and neck. Troy gently pulled his hand from Haidee's slackened grasp and gingerly moved to touch Gabriella's cheek. He let her tears soak the shoulder of his gown, tears of his own running down his face as both their hearts shattered for each other.

She didn't know how long she stayed there, crying floods, but never making a sound. But finally, when she caught herself and realized that there were other things to take care of, Gabriella straightened. Her husband's hand still touched her cheek and wiped away the wet tracks running down it. Through her tears, she smiled at him, knowing that though he couldn't see her, he would feel it. She turned to give Haidee, who had watched her parents in total silence, a tight hug and kissed her on the cheek. Then, she straightened and held her arms out to take Zac from the nurse's arms. The little boy had awoken, but stayed as quiet as everyone else in the room.

"Hey, Zacky," Gabriella crooned to her son as she lifted him up into her embrace. The baby babbled and stared back at her. She smiled then circled around to face Troy again. Slowly, Gabriella lowered Zac so they could see each other. "Say hi to Daddy again," she whispered.

Tentatively, Troy reached his hand up and caught her arm. He moved it slowly down her forearm and then felt his son. "Hey, baby boy," Troy let the tears run down his face once more as he smiled. "Hey, Zac."

Slowly, a smile spread across their son's round, handsome face and he let out a gurgling baby laugh.

Gabriella laughed through her tears. "He's smiling at you, Troy. He's smiling at his daddy."

A/N: I don't like this ending as much as the one I'm writing now, surprisingly. You'll see why once you read the alternate ending!

Oh, yeah! And thanks so much to xFreaky Piccolo Girlx for nominating "Masked" in this collection for Best Zekepay in the HSM Fan Fiction Awards (Take 2). I will be indebted forever to whoever checks it out and votes. You can do this by PMing purplelightsaber with your choices. muahs Thanks again!


	8. Numbers

**Title- **Numbers

**Author- **a2.MI.Pride

**Fandom/Pairing-** High School Musical/Zanessa

**Rating- **K

**Notes- **Here's a tiny little filler for you while you're waiting for the last part of Angel's Lullaby. It's Zanessa centric (GAH! Soo adorable together ;D) and I thought of this in about 5 minutes after watching the music video for "Breaking Free" the remix. BTW, all of you Zanessa fans should watch it. I swear I could just _feel_ the waves of sexual tension from here in front of my computer screen. Ahhaha… Anyway, this takes place during the filming of the original HSM.**Also thanks for everyone who's reviewed! I love you guys!**

"Zaa-aacc!" Zac Efron was jolted from his nap by the sound of someone calling him from the other side of the door that connected his hotel suite to another's. Confused, he looked around and found that he had dozed off in front of his TV. _No surprise there_, he thought grimly. _Seeing as Kenny's been forcing us to work our butts off for the past month and a half!_

There was a flurry of knocks and the voice called again. "Zac, open up!"

Yawning, the exhausted actor stood and shuffled over to the door. He reached out and opened the door. Eyes half-closed, he stood out of the way as a pretty, energetic brunette skipped over the threshold and headed straight for Zac's wardrobe.

"Hi to you, too, Ness." Zac's voice was dry but amused as he addressed his friend and costar. He watched her as she threw open the doors of his wardrobe and started to dig through the various articles of clothing. Raising his eyebrow, he moved to stand behind her. "Can I help you with something?"

Vanessa's voice was muffled as she answered. "I need something to wear, pronto." Catching Zac's expression in the mirror on the back of the wardrobe, she quickly explained, "_Someone_ borrowed about half of my outfits and hasn't given them back. What clothes I _do_ have, I hate."

She saw him grin. "Wooooww. Vanessa Hudgens, out of things to wear? I've never seen the likes of it!" Zac told her playfully.

Vanessa rolled her eyes, a smile tugging at the edges of her mouth. "Hey, would you want to be in fashionably tight Juicy Couture sequined tops after spending about half a day in a lab coat?" Zac's eyes widened. "Yeah, I didn't think so. Got anything big, shapeless and comfy in here?"

"Should be in there somewhere. Keep digging." Zac told her. He plopped himself back down on the couch, watching her paw through his clothes. His eyes wandered over the long, glossy brown locks cascading down her back. He wondered what it might feel like to run his hands through them. _Uh-oh_. His eyes widened slightly. _I did _not_ just think that about Nessa. I _can't_ think that about her! Err… Think of something else. Think of something before you get carried away._

Vanessa continued to search through Zac's wardrobe, sneaking glances at his through the mirror every few seconds. _God, he looks hot in anything, doesn't he?_ She raised her eyebrows as she noticed that his gaze was fixed completely on her back. He stared at her for a moment before he seemed to catch himself, blue eyes widening.

"Uhh… So, V. I got a very random question. Up to answering it?" Zac heard himself asking.

The girl grinned at him and reached into the closet to pull out a patterned button-up shirt. "A random question? Sounds interesting. Ask away, Zachary," she replied, holding the shirt up in front of her and surveying her reflection.

"Right." He hit himself mentally. _Random questions… Think of a random question…_ "Um, what brand of shampoo do you use?" _Brilliant, Efron. Absolute genius. Einstein would be proud._

Vanessa laughed. "The brand of my shampoo? Gosh, Zac, I thought you already knew that! Don't think I don't know about you stealing all of my hygienic supplies for your own use."

"I don't steal—!"

She giggled, thoroughly amused at the indignant look on his face. "Relax, dude. I'm joking." She put the button-up shirt back in the wardrobe and continued rifling through the rest of its contents. "I use the cinnamon Lush Shampoo Bar."

"So that's why your hair smells so good." It slipped out of his mouth before he had the chance to think. Horrified, he turned red and blurted out, "I mean— err…"

He could see her staring at him and blushing in her reflection, suddenly bashful. _Did he really say what I think he said?_ Vanessa thought, amazed.

She quickly lowered her gaze, avoiding those piercing blue eyes. "So, um, I've got a question for you now." She hastily broke the awkward silence.

"Oh?" Zac sounded relieved. "What is it?"

"Um…" She searched her mind frantically for a question to ask him. Her gaze rested on the East High Wildcats basketball jersey in her hand. "What number do I remind you of?" Her question startled even herself. _Where did _that _come from?_

Zac laughed at her question. "What number do I remind _you_ of?"

"Fourteen," she answered without considering it.

"Fourteen? Why?"

_The fourteenth of February is Valentines Day, isn't it?_ Her thought was completely unexpected. It didn't have anything to do with it, did it? Instead of speaking her mind, she turned and held up his basketball jersey and motioned to the number on the back.

"Oh, yeah." He grinned sheepishly. Vanessa turned back to the wardrobe and replaced the jersey. Unconsciously, he admired the smooth plane of skin on her back, visible between the bottom of her tank top and the top of her jeans.

"So? What number do I remind you of?" she asked. He was quiet as he watched her pull out the blue t-shirt he was going to wear when they shot the last scene of the whole movie, the "balcony scene". Vanessa held it up against her and he smiled faintly. It was enormous on her and covered her to halfway down her thighs. "Aha. This'll do. Turn around, and no peeking." She shot him a warning glare.

Zac grinned at her and turned obediently. He fixed his eyes on the TV in front of him, slightly distracted by the fact that there was an extremely hot girl changing shirts behind him. Angry at himself, he pushed all such thoughts out of his mind and tried to think of _anyone_ other than said girl.

"All right, you can turn around now." Vanessa told him as she adjusted the bottom of the huge t-shirt. Zac settled back into his seat facing her again, smiling at how she looked in his shirt.

"You still haven't answered my question." She told him as she bent down to pick up her tank top. "Do you even have an answer?" There was a pause, then:

"Eight-hundred thirty-one."

She looked up at him. Zac's expression was strangely soft, a faint smile playing around his lips as he continued to look at her. "Eight-hundred thirty-one? Why?"

The tall actor shrugged. "Not eight-hundred thirty-one, really. Just eight three one."

She concentrated on folding her tank top neatly. "Why that?"

There was another, longer, pause. Then, a pair of sneakers attached to familiar, jean-covered legs came into her line of vision and she slowly looked up into Zac's suddenly dark, clear blue eyes. Her breath hitched.

"Eight letters; three words; one meaning." There was nothing playful or joking in his tone now. For a second, Vanessa couldn't think, didn't understand. Then, realization slowly dawned on her and her heart rate rocketed upward. _Eight letters; three words; one meaning_. Her eyes widened. She felt his hands grasp hers and pull her up so she was standing. Zac's face was so close and she felt, more than heard, him whisper, "I love you."

For a second, she couldn't speak. Her limbs felt stiff and cold, but inside an amazingly hot, bubbly feeling rushed through her body. Her big, brown eyes sparkled as she slowly tiptoed, bringing her lips up to his ear. "Eight three one, too… I love you, Zac."

All of the sudden she was crushed in his arms and she laughed happily as he lifted her up and twirled her around. When he set her down, she saw that he was grinning widely at her. Then, she lost her breath again as Zac lowered his face towards her. Her eyes fluttered shut and next moment she felt his lips meet hers in a soft, sweet kiss. It seemed like they stayed like that for an eternity. Finally, he broke away and rested his forehead against hers.

"You know what's funny?" he asked, voice amused.

"Hm?"

"I've never really liked numbers."

Zac grinned as he lowered his face to hers again, the sound of her laughter clear in his ears.

**A/N: Okay, that was an amazingly fluffy one-shot… And an incredibly messy ending. I didn't really like it, but whatever. In the wise words of Guinivere Sage, "FLUFF HEALS THE SOUL!" … Even if the ending is a mess, haha. Reviews please!**


	9. Angel's Lullaby, Alt Ending

**Title-** Angel's Lullaby, Alternate Ending

**Author-** a2.MI.Pride

**Fandom/Pairing-** High School Musical/Troyella

**Rating-** K+

**Notes-** Drum roll please! Here it is, people: the original ending to my "Angel's Lullaby" series! Because I labeled the story as a tragedy, I kept the ending tragic, so some of you may want to have a couple of tissues handy. I don't know whether or not I overdid this and made it a complete mess, but I hope it will bring some tears, LOL. Anyway, read on and give me some feedback!

.o.O.o.

Gabriella sat on the windowsill in Zac's dark nursery with Haidee tucked in next to her and Zac wrapped in her arms, watching both of them sleep, in a frozen kind of trance. She closed her eyes and let out a shuddering breath. Today had been the longest day of her life, and all she wanted was to wake up and discover that it had all just been a terrible nightmare. All she wanted to do was open her eyes and find herself in bed, tucked snuggly in Troy's strong embrace and to hear his familiar soft snoring. Gabriella squeezed her eyes tighter and pursed her lips so the tears wouldn't run and her sobs wouldn't sound. _Troy…_

_5 days earlier_

"Open up, Zacky! Here comes the choo-choo train!" Gabriella cooed at her baby boy, moving the spoonful of baby food towards his mouth and resting the spoon on his smiling lips. Zac gave a bubbly baby laugh. "Come on! Open up!" She smiled as he obeyed and put the food into his mouth. Behind her, the door slammed open and a bright voice sounded.

"Mommy! Mommy!" Gabriella rose from the stool she'd been sitting on and turned to face the little six-year-old who had shouted for her. She smiled as she saw her daughter running towards her, a cheerful grin lighting up her face and Troy closing the door behind her. She put down the spoon and embraced Haidee, planting a kiss on her cheek.

"Hey, _cariña_," Gabriella greeted her. "How was school?"

"It was great! Mrs. Tracy says that my writing's improved a lot since last year, and my math is still really good. But I kinda don't want it to be that good, 'cause then she's gonna put me in that special program thing for 'gifted' kids and that's just gonna make me miss basketball after school." Haidee chattered happily as she climbed onto a chair in order to reach her little brother on his high chair. "Hey, Zac-attack!" The little girl planted a big kiss on his nose and hopped back down again. "Well, I'm just gonna go do my homework now." Haidee declared, and she skipped off to her bedroom, backpack bouncing on her back.

Gabriella watched her, laughing, and suddenly found herself enclosed in a strong embrace. She turned to face her husband and looked up into his bright eyes.

"Hello, stranger." The young woman greeted him with a smile.

"Hi," Troy grinned, leaning down to give her a kiss.

Gabriella kissed him back then turned to clear up Zac's clean plate and spoon. "Did you have a good practice?" She placed the plate and spoon in the sink and started to rinse them.

Troy nodded as he gently wiped his son's face and hands, smiling. "It was great. The coach was worried about whether or not we were gonna be down with jet lag today, but no worries now. I'm pretty sure we're gonna be in shape for the match on Friday."

"Well, that's good." Gabriella paused as she put the plate and spoon in the dishwasher. "Troy, you're gonna be home next week, aren't you?"

He looked up at her. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure I am."

"Good, 'cause you know Haidee's birthday is in a week."

"Of course!" Troy grinned at her. "You think I'd forget our daughter's birthday?" He tsked playfully. "Gabby, you are forever underestimating me."

She laughed and walked towards him. "Well, maybe it's not my estimating. Maybe you're just surpassing my expectations." Gabriella raised her eyebrows and smirked as her husband looked at her.

Troy grinned and reached out an arm and hooked it around her waist to pull her to his side and kissed her. When they pulled apart, Troy looked into her eyes and said seriously, "Only someone who loves you very, very much could ever 'surpass your expectations'."

Gabriella smiled softly. "I know." She pulled back slightly and watched Troy lift Zac from his high chair. "So what did you get her for her birthday?"

"I'll show you. Come here." Troy carried their baby up the stairs and into the nursery. Gabriella followed curiously. He put Zac down in his playpen and turned to one of the cabinets, rooting through a drawer.

"Aha…" Troy turned to her with a CD in his hand. On the cover, he had scribbled in black marker, "To my special Haidee-bug. I love you!"

"What is it?" Gabriella asked, taking the CD from him and inspecting it.

"Weelll, one of the guys on the team has some… interesting connections. I asked him to hook me up with someone so I could get this thing done, so he made a call and I got to do this on Monday."

"And 'this' is…" Gabriella raised an eyebrow.

Troy paused. "It's a recording. Of me singing 'Angel's Lullaby'."

Gabriella looked at him, surprised. "I thought you swore you were never going to record another song after high school."

Her husband grinned, a little sheepish. "Well, yeah, but I thought she might like this. I know she has trouble sleeping when I'm not there, and since I'm probably gonna be a lot busier this season, she'll at least have this to play when I'm not there."

"Good idea!" Gabriella laughed. "This thing is going to save me a whole bunch of trouble getting her to sleep!" She saddened slightly as she thought about the nights she was going to have to get through alone when he was away at another game. "Even if it won't be as good as the real thing…"

"Hey," he said softly, seeing her expression and pulling her to him. "At least it's something, right? And I'll always be back the next night."

Gabriella hugged him tight. "You better be." She told him, smiling.

_Present_

"'And I'll always be back the next night'…" Gabriella whispered, holding back tears. "'You better be'…" She opened her eyes and angrily wiped them on her shoulder. She leaned her head back against the cool window and closed her eyes again, to stop more tears from flowing. "You better be, Troy. But somehow, I don't think this time is going to be as easy as the last." A cold chill ran down her back and made her shiver. Suddenly, she was back in that cold, clear hallway, running to keep up with the stretcher that was being rushed to the emergency room.

_Six hours earlier_

It all seemed like a blur. One moment her world had frozen at the sight of Troy splayed across the stairs, bleeding, the crowd of basketball spectators closing in around him, and the next she was running with the paramedics down the hallway to the emergency room. One of the paramedics turned to her now as they banged through yet another set of doors. "I'm sorry, but you'll have to stay out here."

"No," she begged. "Please." Gabriella clutched the railing of the stretcher, refusing to let them take her husband away. The paramedics attempted to pry her fingers open, but she still wouldn't move.

"Get her away!" one of them had ordered. Another grabbed her arm and pulled gently. Haidee cried out and Zac had awoken.

Gabriella wrenched herself away. "Troy!" she called him desperately, but the paramedic had caught her arm again and restrained her as Troy was rushed down the corridor. She pulled and writhed helplessly watching them take him away, the cries of their children sounding from what seemed like so far away. But then…

"Dear Lord," one of the paramedics at Troy's side had stopped dead. He stared at the man he had been rushing down the hall. "He's conscious!" The others stopped and gaped for a moment then started calling orders to the people around them. The man who had been tightly gripping Gabriella's arm had slackened his grip and she tore off, fighting to get to Troy with Haidee trailing behind her.

"Troy!" She slipped past one of the people crowding around Troy and frantically grabbed his hand. Troy _was_ conscious. His blue eyes were clouded with pain as he gazed at her. He slowly opened his mouth.

"Gabby." His voice was hoarse, and so quiet that she could barely hear it. She rubbed her thumb over the back of his hand, stomach clenching. She felt someone reach for her to pull her back, but another voice whispered, "No. Not yet." By now, Troy's stretcher had reached the emergency room.

"Daddy! Daddy, what's happening?" Haidee had run up to Gabriella's side and tried to raise herself high enough to see him. Tear tracks now ran down Troy's face. He moved his hand and reached through the rails on either side of him to gently touch her face.

"I'm sorry, Haidee-bug," he whispered.

Gabriella clenched her teeth, holding back tears. She then bent her torso over her husband. She put her lips next to his ear. "Promise me you won't leave me yet." She kissed him softly on the lips. "Promise me that won't be the last kiss you give me," she whispered to him desperately.

She barely heard Troy's reply. His voice cracked as he whispered back, "I won't leave you, Gabby. Not now, not ever." Troy weakly reached up to touch her face, then moved his hand to caress his baby boy's tiny head.

Now the paramedics were frantically pushing him away.

"DADDY!" Haidee's screech shattered Gabriella's heart. Haidee still clung onto her father's hand and had started to run to keep up with him. Gabriella saw Troy give their daughter's hand a tight, loving squeeze, and then he let go. She ran towards Haidee and scooped her up with one arm, the other still cradling Zac, and the three watched Troy disappear behind the double doors and let their tears fall freely.

Now, nearly two and a half hours later, she sat in the waiting room. Although Haidee had being hysterical for the first hour they had endured in the waiting room, she was now frozen in her seat, eyes closed, but not sleeping. Since she had last seen her husband, Gabriella's mind had been completely numb. Everything she did she did without thinking. Even as she had soothed her two children, her mind had been absent, all her thoughts with Troy in the emergency room. _This isn't happening… This _can't_ be happening_… The mantra ran through her head constantly.

"Mrs. Bolton?" Gabriella turned sharply towards the doctor who had called her. He was a tall man still in his long, white overcoat and paper mask although he had already disposed his rubber gloves. Gabriella stood up, careful not to wake her baby boy. Haidee slowly sat up.

Gabriella stood, just staring at the man in front of her, wanting to know everything and dreading to know at the same time. The doctor's eyes were unemotional, telling her nothing. They stared at each other for over a minute, Gabriella's heart tightening painfully with every passing second. Her eyes dared him to tell her anything that might hurt her. Then…

"I'm sorry." As soon as those two words had left the doctor's mouth, Gabriella's world shattered. It felt like her heart had turned into ice and had been smashed.

The doctor was shaking slightly now. "I'm so, so, sorry… Troy Bolton was one of the fiercest fighters I've ever known, but this time, he just wasn't strong enough. No one could've been strong enough."

Behind her mother, Haidee let out the tiniest cry. Gabriella stiffly turned to her, eyes burning, and held out her free arm. Haidee was quick to join her brother in her mother's embrace. Gabriella held her two children for what seemed like ages, then released her daughter and took her hand instead. She turned back to face the doctor who was still standing there.

"Please," she whispered, eyes dry. "I want to see him."

Without another word, the man turned and led them down the corridor. He pushed open the doors and led them to the bed at the far end of the room, surrounded by curtains. Once they had reached the bedside, he drew back the curtains and stepped away to allow them some privacy.

Gabriella stepped forwards, but felt Haidee pull back. She glanced back. The little girl was rooted to the spot, shaking her head furiously, tears streaming down her face. It was obvious that she was refusing to approach the bed. Gabriella felt hot tears well up behind her eyes, but turned back and stepped towards the bedside.

Upon reaching the bedside, Gabriella gazed down at Troy's still face. If it weren't for the unnatural paleness of his face and the stern expression on his mouth, Troy might've been sleeping. Her eyes brushed over his sandy hair, still dark with sweat from the game and clinging to his face. She tried hard not to see the hair near the back of head, also dark, but with blood. Clutching Zac with one arm, she reached her free hand down to brush the hair off of Troy's forehead. She traced a line across his brow and down his cheek and over his lips. A single tear landed on Troy's chest, and she realized that it was hers. Without thinking about it, she kissed her fingers, then pressed them gently onto his lips.

Taking a deep, shuddering breath, Gabriella turned away and faced the doctor and her daughter again. She met Haidee's icy blue eyes.

"Haidee…" She whispered softly, holding a hand out to the girl, but the six-year-old shook her head yet again. Gabriella beckoned her hand and then Haidee ran to her mother, burying her head in Gabriella's shirt. Even as she cried, Gabriella's daughter was silent. Gabriella held her tightly, rubbing her back.

She looked up and was numbly surprised to see that the doctor who'd been standing off to the side the whole time was still there, wet tracks now showing on his cheeks. The two adults looked at each other for a moment, then Gabriella nodded to him. Arms still around her children, the young mother walked away as the doctor watched.

_Present_

Gabriella felt her tears threaten to fall again and bit the inside of her cheek, fighting not to lose her composure. Haidee stirred suddenly, and Gabriella opened her eyes to find that Haidee was awake. She sat up slowly, careful not to waken Zac.

"Haidee, I thought you were asleep." She said softly. Her daughter didn't reply.

"Haidee," Gabriella called quietly. Haidee blinked slowly, but didn't face her mother. Gabriella shifted again to see her more clearly and reached out to tuck Haidee's hair behind her ear. "Haidee-bug?"

At this, Haidee jerked angrily away from her mother. Gabriella felt her lower lip begin to tremble and stubbornly pursed her mouth, and then she remembered something. She gently laid Zac down in his cradle, stopping to caress his soft cheek when he stirred slightly, and stood up. She crossed the room to open one of the drawers and took out the CD Troy had hidden in there. For a second, grief overwhelmed her and she stood there, clutching the precious disk. Composing herself, she turned and went to crouch in front of her daughter.

She reached out again and swept the hair off of Haidee's wet face. Her daughter's eyes were squeezed tightly shut. Gabriella inhaled sharply. It hurt to see both of her children so lost as much as it hurt her to lose him. She paused and composed herself again.

"Haidee?" She whispered with a watery smile. "Would you like an early birthday present?"

Slowly, Haidee opened her eyes to look up at her mother. She sat up a bit then nodded tentatively.

Smiling more widely now, Gabriella handed her Troy's CD. "It's from Daddy."

Haidee's small hands trembled as she held the CD. Lovingly, she traced the words her daddy had written on the cover. "To my special Haidee-bug. I love you!" Carefully, she opened the cover and slid the disk out. Without speaking, she stood and walked over to the CD player in the corner of the nursery and put her disk in. She started the disk and stood in front of the CD player, listening. Suddenly, Troy's voice was coming out of the speakers to fill the room.

"Well, Haidee. Today's your big day! You're turning seven, finally! I bet you're so excited." There was a small pause. "But… Haidee, you don't know how hard it is for Daddy to see you grow up so fast. Mommy, too, I think." Another pause. "You're getting to be such a big girl. Every day I see you get smarter, sweeter, and prettier. You're going to be beautiful like your mommy soon, Haids." Gabriella could hear the smile in his voice. "You know that even when you grow up, and you face grown-up problems, and feel grown-up things, you can always come to me, all right? I'll always be here, and Mommy will be here, to listen to everything, and I'll try my hardest to help you become a great woman someday." A small laugh came from the speakers. "I'll try my hardest to help you break free." Troy paused again. "Okay, well, I'm done with my little speech, so I'll get on with it." They heard him take a deep breath and then the music started. Troy's smooth alto filled the whole room. His voice soothed, then soared, always comforting. Gabriella felt a very familiar tingling sensation, one she always got when she listened to her husband singing, but this time the feeling was accompanied by her newly found heart-wrenching sadness. The song was winding down, and as Troy sang on, Gabriella listened harder than she'd ever listened. This time she felt the lyrics, almost as if Troy was speaking to her. _He is…_ She realized.

_And when the world seems cold_

_And you feel that all of your strength is gone_

_There may be one tiny voice_

_Your reason to carry on_

_And when I__'m__ not close enough_

_To kiss the tears you cry_

_You will sing your Angel's Lullaby_

_Let this be our Angel's Lullaby…_

The last notes faded away, but Troy hadn't finished his message.

"Well, I hope you liked that!" He sounded a little embarrassed at himself then gave a little laugh. "Happy birthday, Haidee-bug. Now go on and grow and don't be afraid to fly. Don't forget to look after baby Zac and Mommy when I'm not there, too! I love you, and I always will."

As the track ended and the room was silent again, Gabriella realized that the tears she had been fighting to hold back now streamed down her face. Blurrily, she saw that Zac had awoken but was half asleep again, soothed by his father's voice, and that Haidee still stood in front of the CD player, little head tilted up to stare at the speakers. It seemed as if the little girl was looking for her daddy in those speakers. Unsteadily, Gabriella made her way over to her daughter. For a moment, she just stood behind her, watching.

Haidee slowly lifted her hand up to the CD player and touched it with her small hand. In a quiet little whisper, she replied to his message. "I love you, too, Daddy."

Feelings overwhelmed Gabriella in that one instant. Love, loss, warmth, coldness, pride, shame, strength, uncertainty… And then the words Troy's voice had sung moments before came back to her. _'And when the world seems cold, and you feel that all of your strength is gone… There may be one tiny voice; your reason to carry on'…_ _I do have a reason to carry on without him. I have a reason for living. They're right here in this room, and I shouldn't just sit and cry and be useless. Haidee and Zac need their mommy._

Gabriella stepped forward and swept her daughter up into a tight embrace. The little girl wrapped her arms around Gabriella's neck and began to sob, burying her face in her shoulder.

"It's okay, _cariña_. It's going to be all right." Gabriella murmured over and over, rubbing her daughter's back gently. Troy's little girl cried until she had run out of tears. Gradually, her sobs faded and were replaced by quiet sniffs. Gabriella looked around the room and saw Zac sleeping peacefully now. She then lifted her gaze up to the window, looking up into the heavens, and smiled softly. _Yes,_ she thought. _It's going to be all right._

.o.O.o.

**A/N: **So here it is: the real end of "Angel's Lullaby". Did you like it? I hope you did. Personally, I think this ending fit the whole theme of the story better than the first ending I posted. But I really didn't want to kill Troy off, so the first ending was written. Anyway, please review and tell me what you think! I might even give reviewers a little look into my next story or oneshot!

And cookies to Tough Girls Don't Cry, XoXbAbYbXoX, Haloangel504, say.hey.a.dancer, HSMxmusic is lifexHSM, larabaybee, xXGabbyXx, xFreaky Piccolo Girlx carito06, peachie1st, zvlove4ever, sugarush7z, HSMlover4ever, weeziebomb, Amalta, XxTinkyBlondieBellxX, zoe.xo.LiFE, and zanessa4eva2012 for their awesome, awesome reviews! Love y'all!


	10. Flutter by, butterfly

**Title-** Flutter by, butterfly…

**Author-** a2.MI.Pride

**Fandom/Pairing-** High School Musical/Jelsi

**Rating-** K+

**Summary-** One-shot. He loved her, but he had to let her go… For both their sakes.

**Disclaimer-** All I own is the story.

**Notes-** Bittersweet kinda one-shot. This story is probably the one that came most easily to me, and it's one of my faves. Dedicated to the guy who's been the only one to truly capture this butterfly.

.o.O.o.

Kelsi was, in every way, a butterfly. _His_ butterfly. Everything from her shy, flighty nature and her fragile beauty to her delicate butterfly kisses made him realize this. And, oh, Jason loved butterflies.

He was walking down the dark, empty hallways. Basketball practice had ended a while ago. Usually, he would've walked home with his friends, but not today. He had to clear out his locker today. And he would see them all later, to say goodbye.

He walked more slowly than ever, taking in the hallway, memories from each place surfacing in his mind. There, next to the chemistry lab, they had told their friends how they had gotten together two days before. And, in front of the doors to the auditorium, was where they used to meet up every morning. And to the right of those doors, in a forgotten corner where the wall receded, he would pull her in and kiss her hello because she didn't approve of PDA. Now he was walking past her locker, a place he would often pause by to slip a note in through the ventilation slots. It all seemed so long ago. Only one thing hadn't changed. The music room, where he would always find her curled up on the tuba cases writing, or sitting at the piano, lost in her own world.

He reached the front doors and pushed them open. Outside the air was heavy and wet and the sky was filling with clouds. Tucking his hands into the pockets of his jacket, he began to walk down the pathway across the school's front yard. He strode quickly down the sidewalk, pausing under the old oak tree at the very edge of the school property. He gazed up at the thick, rugged bark of the tree's trunk and ran his fingers over the many carved inscriptions sprinkled over it. _TB + GM 4 life; SHARPAY hearts Z and his cookies; Chaddy + Tay-Tay; JC & KN…_

After caressing the last pair of initials, he stepped back and continued to walk. Now, in the distance, he could hear the faint rumblings of thunder. Here, he'd have to turn right to get to his house. Instead, he turned left. A while down this path, he stopped to pick a violet-blue flower: a butterfly pea blossom. He carefully slipped it into his pocket and quickened his pace.

Now he stood just a hundred yards away from her doorway. The windows of her house were mostly dark and it looked empty. He turned, looking for her parents' car. Then, the sound of a door opening came from behind him. Swiftly, he circled back and saw her standing on her porch, soft blue eyes looking curiously at him.

"What…?" Her half-question faded away. A drop of wetness rolled down the side of his face. He looked up and saw that it had started to rain. He looked back at her and spread his arms.

"Dance with me." He half-shouted over the rumbling thunder, smiling. She walked to him, hesitant. When she was standing in front of him, he shrugged off his backpack and took her hands, drawing her close. "Dance."

He spun her away, watching as she twirled and stepped. He touched her briefly, lightly, afraid that if he touched her too tightly, he would crush her. But he touched her often, afraid that she would fly away.

She spun, skipped, leapt, her somber, curious expression soon fading into a bright smile. She danced her flighty, delicate dance to the rhythm of the rain and thunder, illuminated by flashes of lightning. She laughed as she danced with him and tilted her head back to feel the rain.

Again, he drew close to her. She was soaking, as he must be. The raindrops rolled down her face and body as she stood, eyes closed. He raised a hand to her hair and tucked the flower he'd been careful not to crush behind her ear. Slowly, she opened her stain-glass eyes and looked back at him, a smile playing around her lips. Those eyes asked the question she didn't voice.

He lowered his gaze to his feet, dropping his hand.

"My dad… He finally got offered a good job, on that he'll actually like." He paused. "We're moving to England in a week. I won't be coming back, so today was my last day at school. Kels…" He looked back up into her eyes. "I don't think we should see each other after today."

There was no expression, no emotion in her eyes. After a while, "We could make it work. Long-distance—"

"No. Kelsi," he interrupted her. "It wouldn't work. We can't do long-distance. Not how we are now."

She didn't protest.

He smiled gently. "We were good together. They said we were, and we thought we were. But it's not there anymore. We've grown apart." His voice softened. "Do you remember it? How much time we spent together? All the note passing? The secret kisses and handholding?" She nodded slowly. "And now we're both too busy; too different. I can't even remember the last time we did something alone like this."

She looked down quickly, breaking their gaze.

"But it's okay." He forced himself not to hug her. Not yet. "I learned so much from you, and the memories we made aren't ones I'll be forgetting in this lifetime." He hesitated. "But maybe it's time to let go. Before it hurts anymore."

She was still frozen in the same position. Gently, he took her hands, now icy cold, and pulled her up to her door so she wouldn't get any wetter. He put his hand under her chin and tilted her head up so she would meet his eyes. She grasped the hand covering hers tightly. He put his other hand on the back of her head and leaned down to kiss her. As they pulled away, he slipped a wet, crumpled piece of paper into her hand. Smiling sadly, he mouthed, "I love you, Kelsi Nielsen" then turned his back to her and walked away.

She was left standing on her porch, watching in silence, as the first by she'd ever loved slung his backpack back onto his shoulder and strode off in the rain.

She stood for minutes even after he'd left her sight. Finally, she turned around and stepped into her house. All of the sudden, she felt so lonely. Still in a daze, she held up the note he'd slipped her. Her cold eyes scanned the words he'd written on it. The room was suddenly very blurry. She put the sodden piece of paper down on the table beside her door and laid the violet flower that had fallen from her hair down on top of it, and then turned and left the room.

She never looked at his note again, but the words stayed with her and found its way into her songs.

"Flutter by, my butterfly. Maybe it's time we both fly away."

.o.O.o.

**A/N:** Thanks a million to xFreaky Piccolo Girlx, larabaybee, zoe.xo.LiFE, HSMxPiratesoftheCaribbeanxHSM, XxTinkyBlondieBellxX, Amalta, HSMandChelseaFCfan, Rizmu, xXxzanessa-jiley-4lifexXx, and jtaveras for their reviews. My reviewers are the best. Anyway, I always reply to my reviews personally, but since FanFiction was kinda wonky when I posted my last chapter, I'm not sure if you guys got my reply. Realllly sorry if you didn't, but know that I loved reading them all and thanks again!


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